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CCP: ‘Starcatcher’ a fun origin story

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By John Lyle Belden

Once upon a time, there was a boy who never wanted to grow up, so he didn’t.

How he managed that feat is the tale of “Peter and the Starcatcher,” an all-ages story presented by Carmel Community Players. Adapted for Broadway in 2011 by Rick Elice from the book by humorist Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, this piece of English Story Theatre now occupies the intimate space of The Cat, directed by Lori Raffel.

During the reign of Queen Victoria (God save her!), two ships depart from London for a faraway tropic kingdom. One has Lord Aster (Grant Bowen), the other has his young daughter Molly (Hannah Janowicz) under the watchful eye of Mrs. Bumbrake (Tanya Haas). Also, aboard one of these is a trunk containing a dangerously wonderful substance.

Molly is aboard the Neverland, captained by crafty crusty Bill Slank (Dan Flahive) who also keeps three captive orphans – bossy Prentiss (Olivia Carrier), hungry Ted (Quinn Yeater) and a Boy too poor for a name (Mason Yeater). Meanwhile the Wasp, under Captain Scott (Chris Vojtko), is taken over by the pirate Smee (Samantha Kelly) for their boss, the infamous Black Stache (Austin Uebelhor). The buccaneers are aware there is a priceless treasure, and that Aster holds its key.

Brian Thibodeau plays Slank’s first mate, Alf, with other characters by Adrian Blackwell, Desiree Black, and Mackey Brose.

The play’s simple staging and air of whimsy propel a wild adventure that includes storms, mermaids, restless island natives, and a large hungry crocodile. Along the way, the Boy gains a name, and a purpose. Little touches like Bumbrake’s alliterations and Stache’s anachronisms keep things interesting as we see the elements come together, laying the foundation of the familiar legend of Peter Pan.

The Yeater brothers are always a treat to see onstage. Quinn’s Ted is a likable goof, while Mason displays both comic and leading-man talent, which combined make him believable as the primary title character without having to actually fly. Janowicz nicely embodies the know-it-all teen girl who speaks Doolittle-esqe languages and works magical devices with scientific precision. Carrier carries on well as the boy who’s more bluster than bravery.

Kelly has an odd charm as almost-smart Smee, while Uebelhor is entertaining as the villain wannabe who struggles to be feared until a sudden injury clarifies his place in this legend. Additional humor is wrung from the growing relationship between Bumbrake and Alf. Blackwell is impressive as a chef-turned-cannibal.

Take some time out from being a grown-up to experience the childish charms of “Peter and the Starcatcher,” performances Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 21-24, at 254 Veterans Way in downtown Carmel (by the Arts & Design district). For info and tickets, see carmelplayers.org or thecat.biz.

Drag Theatre lets its ‘Freak Flag Fly’

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By John Lyle Belden

(Note: Out of respect for the art form and its performers, they are identified by their Drag names as given in the show program.)

In the gay community, “fairy” stings as a pejorative, but Indy Drag Theatre celebrates Fairy Tales in style with its production of “Shrek” at the District Theatre. This parody/homage melds the Oscar-winning 2001 film with the Tony-winning 2008 musical (incorporating more elements of the 1990 children’s book) with bits of sassy attitude (RuPaul’s voice does pop in) appropriate to the milieu.

With all audio lip-synched the story is unchanged, so what sells the show are the non-stop visuals – costumes and props by Ailish Forner, makeup by Ciara Myst, wigs from Hair by Blair, with choreography by Kitt St. Clair, and directed by Maddie Deeken with Beelzebabe – and comic yet compelling performances by Miss Kay-Ottic as Shrek, DeLulu Devant as Donkey, and Luna Magick as Lord Farquaad. Princess Fiona is nicely portrayed by Kalinda, with Cici Pasion and Madison Avenue as her younger versions, and Axel Rosie as “love’s true form.” Natalie PortMan puts the drag in Dragon with her performance as the fire-breathing beauty. Our Shrek and Fiona have chemistry (and not just gastric), while Donkey and Farquaad are each major scene-stealers.

Also notable is Alicia Brooke as Pinocchio and Robin Hood. Various other creatures are embodied effectively by Eli Rose, Johnnee Crash, Brentlee Bich, Norah Borealis, Milo Xpat Tayshuns, Rodick Heffley, Freddie Fatale, Senator Gale Lagations, Ava Morningstar, Aqua Marie, and Gorge Bush.

While fun and familiar, this production is also a loud and proud celebration of our differences, and how together we can find in that freakiness a common bond.

Good news: This time we have the review up in time for you to see the show! Seats sell fast, so get tickets at indydistricttheatre.org for performances 7 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 21-24 at 627 Massachusetts Ave., Indianapolis.

Based on a True Story

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By John Lyle Belden 

There is funny, “ha-ha;” there is funny, “strange and/or wrong” – and there is a bold combination of these, “Funny, Like an Abortion,” a dangerously dark comic drama by Rachel Bublitz at IF Theatre, home of IndyFringe.

A co-production of Theatre Unchained with American Lives Theatre, this intense movie-length one-act is directed by TU’s Megan Ann Jacobs and ALT founder Chris Saunders. 

Set in the near future, Monroe (Alicia Ana Hernandez-Roulet) is setting up a surprise party for her bestie, Jade (Rachel Kelso), at least that’s what appears on her social app accounts and is known by her household smart device, Butler (voice of Thomas Sebald). However, once she feels free of any eavesdropping, Monroe springs the real surprise – it’s an “abortion party!” To Jade’s astonishment, the numerous gift bags each hold or represent a means of ending Monroe’s unwanted pregnancy. Legal and therefore safe abortion is a thing of the past, so they must choose the least-bad option to be executed that night, before anyone else can catch on.

In this portrayal of how elements of “Nineteen Eighty-Four” and “The Handmaid’s Tale” could easily come about in today’s high-tech culture, the mood is lightened by laugh-not-to-cry dark humor and moments of game-show presentation, juggling, and a tap-dance break. Hernandez-Roulet and Kelso take on this challenge earnestly as relatable and entertaining characters. Monroe stays upbeat, even manic, to keep ahead of a creeping despair, as Jade feels her way through being both a true friend and an accomplice to a serious felony.

They are also Alicia and Rachel, two actors breaching the Fourth Wall to remind us that while all the methods given in the play are actual abortion tactics (some going back centuries), they are all dangerous and not to be attempted by anyone.

While Bublitz wrote this prior to the Dobbs v Jackson decision that ended the protections of Roe v Wade, the play does anticipate it happening and we do get from the cast a rundown of the various restrictions put in place across America since the Supreme Court’s 2022 ruling. With the results of recent elections, including the likely enacting of Project 2025 measures in the coming year, something like the events portrayed could soon come to pass.

Enlightening and alarming in what it portends, this show is recommended for those who understand to bring friends who need to know – which, to be honest, is all of us.

“Funny, Like an Abortion” has two more weekends, Nov. 15-17 and 21-23 in the Blackbox (formerly Indy Eleven) stage at IF, 719 E. St. Clair St., Indianapolis. Get info and tickets at theatreunchained.org or indyfringe.org.

We love Southbank

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By John Lyle Belden

The power and mystique of the Shakespeare tragedy “Hamlet” are so strong, one can talk about and around the play and not only impart its importance, but also tell a story that stands on its own. This our young protagonist learns in the comedy “I Hate Hamlet,” by Paul Rudnick, presented by Southbank Theatre Company, directed by Eric Bryant.

Set in the early 1990s, television star Andrew Rally (J. Charles Weimer) rebounds from the cancelation of his show by going to New York to play the lead in a Shakespeare in the Park production of “Hamlet.” To be honest, he doesn’t really want to do it, being self-aware that his talent lies more in the small screen than on a big stage.

Still, his girlfriend Deirdre (Michelle Wafford) adores the Bard and might finally give in romantically if Andrew takes the role. His agent, Lillian (Wendy Brown), also sees this as a good decision. On the other hand, we will soon meet his friend Gary (Anthony Nathan), a TV director and smarmy denizen of Hollywood who sees the fading TV star in over his head, getting little to no financial gain from this likely fiasco. Gary arrives with a deal for a style-over-substance show that is assured to make them both rich, if Andrew abandons the Shakespeare gig.

Meanwhile, New York Real Estate broker Felicia (Jean Arnold) has set Andrew up in an eccentrically-decorated apartment that was once home to legendary actor John Barrymore – Drew’s grandfather, and, more importantly, regarded as the greatest Hamlet of his era. Felicia also fancies herself a psychic medium, so she, Andrew, Deirdre, and Lillian (who once knew the actor), attempt to reach out to Barrymore’s spirit.

Unable to resist an opportunity to perform, John (Kevin Caraher) does appear, and won’t leave until Andrew Rally is Hamlet (ghost rules, otherwise he’s stuck).

That’s the plot, but more important is the hilarious journey Andrew takes in getting over his “hate” of Hamlet, feeling compelled to prove to everyone – especially himself – that as an entertainer he is more than just “an anytime snack” (see the show, you’ll get it). Caraher plays Barrymore as a manic mentor, while still carrying echoes of the regrets and alcoholism of his mortal years (the real actor did have an interesting biography). He and Weimer engage in some great physical comedy, especially when the swords come out.

Wafford’s Deirdre could be pictured next to “giddy” in the dictionary, a blend of (literally) virginal innocence and fangirl ebullience. Brown plays her aging German agent as both sensible and wistful, the latter especially when she has her long-awaited second encounter with the spirited stage star. Nathan does broad comedy as naturally as breathing and embodies happy-go-lucky about as heartily as anyone short of an actual cartoon. It’s telling that Gary lives so much in the alternate reality of the West Coast that he easily sees Barrymore without an inkling that the event is supernatural.

A roaring good time in a sly homage to the power of Shakespeare and the character of those who take it on, you’ll love “I Hate Hamlet.” Performances are Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 14-17, at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis, on the southwest corner of Butler University campus. For info and tickets, see southbanktheatre.org.

Bard Fest finale: Nothing ‘Tame’ about it

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By John Lyle Belden

Before hanging up the Elizabethan-era pantaloons, Indy Bard Fest wraps its final season with the notoriously in-your-face comedy, William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.”

Director Dana Lesh of Improbable Fiction Theatre Company gives the Bard full voice in this production, leaving in some scenes that other adaptations might cut, giving the intertwined plots a more complex yet complete feel. She also has our cast lean in on the fact that, apart from its bizarre romance and characters’ abuses, this is a comedy! Broad slapstick and sharp comic timing abound throughout, with a troupe that holds nothing back.

Angie Dill is a human hurricane as Katherine, our title character. Meanwhile Thomas Sebald, with that rare knack to play a handsome romantic lead like a wolverine on double-espressos, is the perfect wild-eyed match for her as persistent suitor Petruchio. The post-intermission psychological torture is worthy of discussion after the show, whether it ends in total domination or perhaps a means to channel cruel personalities without getting into a murder plot like many other Shakespeare plays. Dill adds to the mystery by not being entirely mean, and showing Kate keeping her wits about her, even when at their end.

The added complexity gives us a full picture of the main alternate storyline, the wooing of younger sister Bianca (Tailynn Downing). This has its own twists involving rival suitors: clever Lucentio (Andrew Daniels), dowry-minded Hortensio (Josh Gibson), and elderly Gremio (Ryan Shelton). For further complication, as Lucentio dons a disguise, he has his servant Tranio (Ben Elliot) pretend to be him. Also, they find a stranger (Thomas Smith) to pretend to be Lucentio’s father Vincentio (Jeff Bick), who will, of course, also show up. All this happens in the house of Baptista (Daniel Shock), who just wants his daughters to be wed and happy.

Contributing to this hilarious mess are Damik Lalioff as Petruchio’s longsuffering manservant, as well as Nalani Huntington, Cathie Morgan, and Kellyn Merrell, in various roles.

Concluding a Shakespeare festival with a comedy that ends not with a wedding, but a scolding? Consider it Bard Fest’s mic drop. Enjoy the madness while you can; performances are Friday through Sunday at the Mud Creek Players “Barn,” 9740 E. 86th Street, Indianapolis. Get tickets and info at indybardfest.com.

We thank producer Glenn L. Dobbs for having us along on this final ride.

ATI presents romantic pen-pal predicament

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By John Lyle Belden

Easing us out of the Spooky Season and into the Holidays, Actors Theatre of Indiana presents the classic musical, “She Loves Me.”

With book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock, and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick (who would next write “Fiddler on the Roof”), this “Holiday Love Story,” based on a 1937 play by Miklos Laszlo, so perfectly fits the template of the modern rom-com, it even inspired one – the 1998 film “You’ve Got Mail.”

In 1930s Budapest, Maraczek’s Parfumerie opens with a sales staff that includes anxious yet jaded family man Sipos (John Vessels), hopeless romantic Ilona (Nathalie Cruz), suave ladies’ man Kodaly (Eric Olson), shy yet competent Georg (Jacob Butler), eager delivery and stock boy Arpad (Ben Friessen), and Mr. Maraczek (Darrin Murrell) himself. Business is brisk this summer day, but there is uncertainty that the new musical cigarette boxes will sell. The boss bets Georg its price that at least one box will – then Amalia (Sophie Jones), a headstrong woman seeking a job at the shop, persuades a customer to gladly buy.

With her costing him money, then taking a job alongside her at the store, Georg and Amalia bicker. They can’t stand each other. However, each has also privately written lonely-hearts letters to an anonymous lover – of course, unknowingly, each other. As the calendar turns to December, the “dear friends” decide to meet in person, at a café notorious for romantic rendezvous. What could go wrong?

Butler and Jones are nicely cast as the sweet and sassy secret (to each other) lovers, whose angry sparks generated at work hide a flame growing in spite of itself. Vessels gives dignified charm to his Hungarian everyman that contributes to the comedy without stealing scenes. Likewise Cruz, who in her Act II solo makes being barely literate sound like an adventure. Friesen, whose character has the same last name as the original playwright, makes an interesting catalyst to several scenes while cheerfully playing the maturing lad making his way in the world. Olson gives us a bad boy in both the playful and eventually literal sense, breaking hearts and making scenes with panache. It was good to see Murrell, a steady hand both on stage and off (as ATI’s Associate Artistic Director), as the good-natured but firm – and troubled – boss.

Customers adding little touches of fun in the shop, and appearing in other roles, are Elizabeth Akers, Cynthia Collins, Terrance Lambert, Josh Maldonado, Carrie Neal, and Brett Mutter, who has a wonderful turn as the café head waiter.

Note that it’s not all fun and romance, as subplots include infidelity and a moment of self-harm. But true to romantic stories throughout the ages, all will be well in the end.

The show is directed by Richard J. Roberts, who is also resident dramaturg at Indiana Repertory Theatre. Thus, he found this story interesting as a look into the relatively carefree atmosphere of Eastern European cities in the years before World War II and the strife that followed. Unlike the air of denial that permeates “Cabaret,” this reflects more of a genuine joy that – especially from our perspective – is worth celebrating though (or because) it can prove fleeting.

Choreography is by Carol Worcel, with music and vocal direction by Nathan Perry, and Jessica Greenhoe is stage manager.

For those who enjoy watching the journey from meet-cute to “I do,” or need an idea for your next romantic date, may I suggest “She Loves Me,” performances through Nov. 17 in The Studio Theater at The Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Get info and tickets at atistage.org or thecenterpresents.org.

Anguish of atrocity honored in Gregory Hancock program

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By John Lyle Belden

Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre presented another brilliant example of its ability to tell a story and evoke feeling through movement with its “Autumn Nights” program.

“Art should be challenging,” founder and director Gregory Glade Hancock says. This is certainly brought to bear in the debut of his important work, “Beyond These Gates the Land Groans.” These words were written on a wall of the Police Prison Camp at Salaspils, Latvia, operated by Nazi Germany as a labor and concentration camp from October 1941 until the Soviets closed it at war’s end in 1945. Though not as infamous as larger facilities, it was just as cruel, leading to the deaths of thousands of people (many of them, children) from disease, starvation and other mistreatment.

In 1967, a Memorial was built to remember those who were lost there, which included a number of sculptures whose brutal appearance reflected their suffering. Hancock saw these on a recent visit to Latvia and said he was instantly inspired to compose this piece.

The resulting performance literally stunned us. The movement portrayed the grace of humanity but no further beauty. Dancers worked in open space against the constant tension of being in a restrained, hopeless place. They appear as representation of the memorial statues, in the same poses, and move to express their struggle and sorrow. They come forward, challenging us to see them, hear their silenced cries. The stark vision extends to the costumes (also by Hancock), plain prisoner uniforms hanging loose upon starved bodies, as well as there being no music, just the ongoing rhythm of a recorded human heartbeat. At a moment of desperate necessity, there is the wail of a violin. At the end, as we had been cautioned before the show, few felt like applauding – some in the audience briefly clapped out of respect for the artists; the rest of us, intensely moved, honored it with silence.

Dancers were the principal GHDT company – Sophie Jones, assistant director Abigail Lessaris, Thomas Mason, Cordelia Newton, Josie Moody, Olivia Payton, and Audrey Springer – with GH Academy students Arden Brothers and Hazel Moore.

The program also had lighter and otherwise entertaining works. It opened with “The Visit,” a 1992 Hancock dance with Eastern European influences, appropriate to the Halloween season. Mason enters the center spotlight and summons the others in a bewitching circle of celebration and magick. The “sisters” include Lessaris, Moody, Payton, Springer, and provide a lovely introduction of new dancers Jones and Newton – the latter getting a brief solo. Student Penelope Lomax also makes an appearance.

Hancock also revived a fun 2008 piece, “The Seven Deadly Sins.” All listed above, as well as students Abigail Arboleda, Fiadh Flynn, Morgan Rice, Josephine Steinmetz, Charlotte Terzino, and Brittney Zhang, take turns in various numbers embodying Pride, Sloth, Wrath, Gluttony, Greed, Envy, and, of course, Lust. In the end, Terzino reappears as Virtue to set the moral order right.

The “Autumn Nights” came and went – last Friday evening and Saturday afternoon – at The Tarkington of the Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Carmel. Upcoming events will be nearby on The Florence stage at Gregory Hancock’s office and Academy, 329 Gradle Drive:

 “Melange” returns with three artists of different disciplines combining their talents in a single improvised theme. On Nov. 16-17, visual artist Kevin James Wilson, vocalist Tessa Gibbons, and GHDT’s Josie Moody will create a masterpiece within the same space.

“WinterFest,” a celebration of different year-end holidays, will be at the Florence on December 6-8 and 13-15.

For information on these and performances in 2025, visit GregoryHancockDanceTheatre.org.

Hyperion haunts local stage with popular British thriller

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By John Lyle Belden

It’s extremely difficult to do horror on stage.

To be more precise, it is very hard to do frightening on stage. Horror in a broader sense abounds in theatres, especially at this time of year. We get literature and social commentary with a bit of chill with Frankenstein, or we indulge in campy jump-scares with horror-comedies and musicals. We even get normalized ghoul-next-door with a show about witches or the Addams Family.

But spookiness that kinda gets to you, or has the easy-to-scare friend in the next seat gasp or nearly jump out of their chair? That’s hard. That’s “The Woman in Black,” presented by Hyperion Players.

Based on the 1983 novel (set early in the 20th century) by Susan Hill, this gothic story was adapted by Stephen Mallatratt into the second longest-running play on London’s West End. It is directed here by local actor and director Liz Carrier.

On a rehearsal stage with a scattering of set pieces, we meet David Johnson and Nicholas Gibbs as Arthur Kipps, solicitor, and Actor, a trained thespian. Disturbed by memories raised during a traditional British Christmas telling of ghost stories, the former has written his story out and asks the latter to help him in presenting it to close family and friends. During the course of this play, both will be Actors and, depending on the scene, either will be Kipps. It’s not hard to follow, though – this isn’t the scary aspect.

From our vantage as the shadows of this empty hall, we see the tale unfold of young Kipps being called from foggy London to the foggy village of Crythin Gifford to attend to the estate of recently deceased Mrs. Drablow, especially her Eel Marsh House manor among the marshlands by the North Sea. Things start out eerie enough, including encounters with certain townsfolk, but get worse with sightings of the titular Woman, mysterious noises, and a growing number of disturbances.

The acting, both overall and play-within-the-play, is excellent. Johnson nimbly switches from one character to another in tone, accent, and expressions. Gibbs shows practiced confidence in engaging the Kipps script and an earnest manner in portraying the junior solicitor. With their aid, Carrier arranges the proper dark atmosphere for this story, making vital the contributions of sound designer Zach Catlin, Adam Fike for the lighting, and hair and makeup artist Bella Lazarides. With all the fog, shadow and sound effects, we can imagine we see the horses, the friendly dog, and even…

Please note the cast list is just two persons.

Spend some time in the dark with an unsettled – and a trifle unsettling – spirit; experience the mystery of “The Woman in Black,” performances Thursday (yes, Halloween!), Friday and Saturday at The Switch Theatre in Ji-Eun Lee Music Academy, 10029 126th St., Fishers. Get info and tickets at HyperionPlayers.com.

NAATC: A legacy worth fighting for

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By John Lyle Belden

Naptown African American Theatre Collective, Indy’s first Black Equity stage company, continues to bring us stories that are both the Black Experience and our human experience.

The theme for its 2024-25 season is Cementing Our Legacy, which can mean different things to different individuals, even within the same family. “Judy’s Life’s Work” by Loy A. Webb, presented by NAATC at the Phoenix Theatre cultural Centre, is a hard-hitting example of this.

Xavier (Xavier Jones) rose up from hardship to become a boxing champion. Time in prison convinced him of the importance of education, so now he runs his own gym and offers free tutoring for neighborhood kids, which has him on the ropes financially. As luck would have it, his new uptown girlfriend, Camille (Selena Jackson-King) has a way to keep the place solvent and run it as a not-for-profit. He just needs one thing, which he has to get from his sister, Charli (Cara Wilson).

It turns out that this simple story has so many layers. The macguffin of the plot is a notebook belonging to Camille and X’s mother, Judy, who had recently passed away. She was a leading biological researcher who had kept her work to herself, wary of the motives of others – especially Duffy Pharmaceuticals, located in their city.

Word had gotten out that Judy had made a revolutionary breakthrough shortly before her final battle with cancer. Charli had worked closely with her Mom and keeps the notes hidden; X, who is years older, had been given up by his mother for adoption, landing him in a hellish foster system. As he sees it, Duffy can continue the breakthroughs while giving him the funds to keep his community-minded project alive. Win-win, right? As for Camille, we soon see she is motivated by something more than love for a down-and-out former Champ.

The gloves are on, the bell is rung. Who will still stand when this round is done?

Jones is commanding in his role, with all the cocky bluster of a young Will Smith. His feelings run deep, both in affection for his sister and bitter resentment of his mother. He carries himself as one who has been knocked down plenty – in and out of the ring – yet still managed to find a way to stand again. Wilson cleverly plays Charli with a look and manner that seems to scream “adorable little sister” while displaying a sharp intellect in fighting condition for this battle of wills. Jackson-King ably portrays the conflicted heiress caught up in a high-stakes challenge.

How do we define one’s “life’s work” and its value? With little surprises all the way to the end, this examination of one’s legacy keeps us engaged throughout. The director is Philadelphia-based award-winning multidisciplinary artist Angela Bey, who was drawn to Naptown by her love of Webb’s plays and is impressed with what NAATC is doing. “There’s nothing like this in Philly,” she said on opening night.

The opening also featured the Hip-Hop Legacy Cypher, a spoken word battle with poets Manòn Voice and Tony Styxx. Consider us all knocked out by the power of their truths. This isn’t a regular feature, NAATC producing director Lakesha Lorene said, but something like this could come around at their next show opening.

“Judy’s Life’s Work” continues through Nov. 3 at the Phoenix, 705 N. Illinois, downtown Indianapolis. For information, see naatcinc.org; for tickets, go to phoenixtheatre.org.

Andersen’s own duckling-to-swan story in new musical

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By John Lyle Belden

The life of Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was quite extraordinary, resembling a novel – or perhaps, a fairy tale.

Indy Bard Fest presents “Andersen: A Fairy Tale Life,” a new musical written and directed by June McCarty Clair (with music by Derek Hakes and lyrics by John C. Clair), based on the true events of the tale-spinner’s life.

We first follow Andersen as a boy (played by Preston Blair) in the small town (at the time) of Odense on Denmark’s island of Funen – far enough from Copenhagen for it to be considered boring but close enough for royalty to visit for a quiet vacation. Raised on literature by his father (before he died) and folk tales by his illiterate mother (Lisa Anderson), the lad would sing and recite for coins on the street.

Having a good voice and endless ambition, as a teen (Grant Craig) he makes his way to Copenhagen hoping to be a performer as well as a writer. Nearly penniless, he finds his way to Jonas Collin (Mac Williams), who takes him in, and with famous voice teacher Siboni (Thom Brown), scientist H.C. Orsted (Duane Leatherman), and, reluctantly, Jonas’s son Edvard (J.B. Scoble) undergo a grand experiment to see if a low-born person with potential can bloom into a celebrated genius. Struggling at first, Andersen is sent to study under cruel schoolmaster Simon Meisling (Matthew Socey) to improve his grammar. Instead, he writes a poem which somehow makes its way into print.

This first act not only gives us an interesting biography but also provides a showcase for the talents of Blair and Craig, who get their own songs and fully realized scenes – not just used as younger faces to get to the man we know. With Craig’s charm and vocal chops, he easily portrays the star potential of the confident young Dane.

The second act brings on Andersen as a young adult, in which Matt Anderson channels his charisma into a man who came across as gangly, awkward, and eccentric, yet somehow enchanting. In these years success came easily, but happiness and a sense of belonging elude him. People love his stories, but what about the man?

This play includes references to a number of Andersen’s tales, with one even acted out by children. The songs serve the plot well – such as “Another Door,” as young Christian deals with rejection as he pursues his destiny. The second-act song “Fairy Tale Life” has showstopper potential.

Other notable performances include Rachelle Woolston as Mette the Fortune Teller, Sara Tewes as a famous ballerina, Erika Koepfer as Louise Collin, Nan Macy in brash-woman roles as usual, and Greta Shambarger as the one kindly person who doesn’t slam the door in Andersen’s face. They are joined by Beth Gibson, Derek Hakes, Emelyn Woolston, Owen Flint, Andy Burnett, Mel Burnett, Lucy Isles (Little Match Girl), Jacob Meneghini (Ugly Duckling), and Thom Johnson (Mayor of Odense).    

“Andersen: A Fairy Tale Life” is an entertaining examination of a true rags to riches story, a testament to overcoming one’s disadvantages with persistence. We get glimpses into both the author’s humor and his melancholy that informed his often-tragic writings. Ever feeling the outsider, he still lived a full and, eventually, celebrated life. The story doesn’t delve into current scholars’ controversial speculation of his sexuality, yet does portray the loneliness we know he felt.

Remaining performances are Friday through Sunday at Shelton Auditorium, 1000 W. 42nd St., Indianapolis (southwest corner of Butler University campus). For information, see indybardfest.com, or find tickets here.